There and Back Again
by GigglingDonkey
Summary: An epilogue to the Graveyard Book. We get to follow Bod as he reminiscences over his life after leaving the graveyard.


There and Back Again

It had been a long time since that fateful night, when Nobody "Bod" Owens for the first time left the graveyard without the intention of returning. In fact, it had been a lifetime, Bod's lifetime. For that boy had been forced into adulthood sooner than he would have liked, sooner than anyone would have liked. He was now laying in bed, with the knowledge that he would never rise from it again. His blonde hair had now turned snow white, his forehead wrinkled, and his once curious eyes had now grown wise with age. Next to his bed sat his wife. She was doing her best to try and hide her tears, but failed as they streamed down her cheeks. To Bod, she was as beautiful now as the time they met. Bod had spent almost a decade of his life after leaving the graveyard devoted to traveling, to visit all of the places that had been described to him and to see what else laid beyond the confines of the graveyard. He had been amazed to find some of the buildings in Rome to be just as he had imagined them to be when Caius Pompeius would regale him with stories of his past. He visited the savannas in Africa, looked at the Northern lights in Scandinavia, and trekked through the jungles in India. It was there Bod saw something that would change his life, a pack of wolves. One of the females recently had given birth to cubs. Realisation hit Bod, realisation that something was missing in his life, something he had felt long ago, something like companionship. It took some time, but by winter that same year Bod eventually made it back to Britain. Trickier was finding Scarlett's address, but using what he remembered he about her, Bod managed to figure out the college her father worked at, and gained the knowledge from him. It took some time to actually find the place. When Bod finally did, he was cold and wet from the snow, and darkness had fallen. Standing outside her house going over, in his head, what he would actually say, the lights suddenly turned on. Bod could not explain his actions, but he quickly hid. He slowly crept to the window. Looking through it, he saw her. She was older, but it was definitely her. Standing there, in the snow, looking at her, remembering the good times. Then suddenly, his heart dropped. Coming behind up her, a man, for a brief moment Bod thought he was a burglar, and made to warn Scarlett. Until he embraced her, and Bod left, never to return again. What was he thinking, of course she would have moved on. Thoughts of his stupidity followed him all the way to the train station. He sat himself on a bench to await the next train south. Wondering what he should do with his life now.

"I recognize that expression" he heard someone addressed him. A woman, brown hair, and pretty. She sat down on the bench, next to him, and they talked, and talked, she bought Bod a cup of coffee and they continued to talk all night. That's how Bod met Fiona. Most days, after that one, they would spend together, and eventually the nights as well. Her father sold patio furniture, and with a recommendation from Fiona, Bod started to work for him. The job was not a glamorous one, nor was it well-payed, but Bod liked it. It turned out that Bod had a talent for talking to people, always courteous and a good listener. Years went by, Fiona was pregnant with their first child, and was now scrambling to get married. Another couple of years and a second and a third child came along. Bod was now in his late fifties, and he had started to feel ill on several occasions. After yet another session of feeling faint and delirious, Fiona managed to convince him to go see a doctor. It did not take long before they figured out what was wrong with him. It is terrifying just how much damage a stray cell is able to do. It took some time, some patience, and a lot of hair, but Bod managed to stave it off. He had not been the same afterwards. Taking some time off work, Bod now found himself spending more time at home with his wife, or with his grandchildren. It took ten years for the cancer made a return. This time Bod was not as lucky.

Even though Bod had always felt he could say anything to Fiona, he never told her about spending the first part of his life growing up in a graveyard. In fact, Bod had only told one person about this, the boy standing at the end of the bed, his first grandchild Joseph. The whole family, from Fiona's father now in his late eighties to the newest arrivals in the family, twins only a couple of months old, had come to visit once the Bod's health had taken a turn for the worse. Taken turns, the younger children had been ushered into the room to say their good-byes, clearly not grasping the concept of mortality, but they would learn soon enough. Then it was Joe's turn. Trembling from head to toe, he had spluttered out, through tears and snot, how he didn't want his grandfather to go away, never to see him again. Taking pity on the boy, Bod asked to be left alone with him. Once away from prying ears or eyes, he began telling him everything. About how he had grown up not knowing who his real family was, but that in the end it didn't matter as the Owens was his true family. He told him about Silas, about Lupescu, about the ghouls. Bod was amazed how much he remembered, even though he had not thought about for so long. This seemed calmed Joe down, and when the others came back in he and Bod were the only two not crying.

Then it happened, as if something had tightened its grip around Bod, squeezing so hard it was almost unbearable, the sounds around him got phased out. He could not tell you if it lasted an hour, a minute, or a second, but as sudden as it came, it stopped, as if it had just let go of him. Bod felt as light as a feather, and he sat up. None of the people around him seemed to notice. In the doorway however was something slithering out of sight. Bod raised himself out of bed and rushed to the doorway, at the end of the hallway he saw again something undefinable, something that almost looked like silk reflected in water. Looking back at his family he, saw himself. He had left his body behind. Joe was staring at his direction, as something shimmering had flashed for just a moment, or maybe it was only his imagination. Bod made his way down the hall, and through the doorway. Standing outside in the moonlight was a lady dressed in grey, stroking the mane of her horse.

"Well then, Bod. It has finally become your turn to ride my horse." the Grey Lady said, looking straight at Bod.

"And if I don't want to anymore?" Bod said fearful of the unknown.

"It is not up to you, anymore." she answered, without a trace of emotion.

Bod pushed his right foot into the stirrup, then hesitated.

"Will it hurt?"

"You will never feel pain again."

Bod kicked off the ground and mounted the horse.

"Where to?"

"You know where."

Bod rode off, leaving the grey lady on his front yard. Jumping over lakes, forests, and towns. The journey took no time at all. He had arrived at a pair of gates, the same gates that had protected him from the man Jack all those years ago. For a moment, when the gate wouldn't open, Bod thought he had gotten the wrong idea. Not until the a dark figure from the other side came.

"Long time no see, Nobody Owens."

"Silas? Is that really you?"

The dark figure opened the gate, to reveal that they were not alone.

"Go on, Bod. I'm sure you've missed them as much as they have missed you."

He raised his hand, pointing down the path. Bod moved on, the walk slowly increasing to a jog, and then a sprint. Sure enough, there they stood, waiting for him, Mr Owens standing behind his wife with a smile from ear to ear, and Mrs Owen with her arms stretched wide, to welcome him back home.


End file.
